Rubber stamp device



May 21, 1963 T. A. SULKIE RUBBER STAMP DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1961 INVENTOR Thomas Sulkie 4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,099,304 RUBRER STAMP DEVICE Thomas A. Sulfide, 1733 Wisconsin Ave. NW., Washington, DC. Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 141,937 19 Ciaims. (Cl. 101-333) This invention relates to hand-stamping devices and their support.

An object of my invention is to provide a hand-stamping device that is cheap to manufacture, compact and easily used.

Another object of my invention is to provide a handstarnping device containing its own ink pads.

Also an object of my invention is to provide nested hand-stamping assemblies which comprise multiple handstamping units.

Still another of my invention is to provide a handstamping device having a sealing means to prevent drying of the ink pad.

Another object of my invention is to provide a nested hand-stamping assembly which has easily readable titles.

Also another object of my invention is to provide a nested hand-stamping assembly having easily removable units which will not stick to each other.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a non-tilting support for nested hand-stamping devices.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the handstamping assembly and showing one hand-stamping unit and support connected to another hand-stamping unit and support, one support partially in section.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical fragmentary section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section of a modified form of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section of another modification of FIGURE 3, with one hand-stamp disengaged from another hand-stamp.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical fragmentary of the connecting means for one hand-stamp support with another handstamp support.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary taken on lines 77 of FIGURE 6, and viewed in the direction of the arrows, showing the method of connecting one support with another support.

The hand-stamp assembly 1 may be of plastic, metal or the like comprises a plurality of nested hand-stamp units 2 and resilient supports 4. Supports 4 have resilient legs 5. Hand-stamp supports 4 are connected by bar insert member 6 which is inserted in groove 7 of supports 4.

The hand-stamp unit 2 comprises a plurality of nested hand-stamps It The hand-stamps 10 comprise hollow cup shaped members 11 having their side-walls 12 and end walls 14 tapering inward from the top edge to the bottom edge thereof, and a bottom wall 16.

The hand-stamps 16 may be formed from a lightweight metal or a plastic or the like.

The supports 4 may be formed from a resilient metal or a resilient synthetic resin material or the like and the bar insert member 6 may be of any suitably ridged material such as metal, Wood, or synthetic resin material.

In FIGURE 3 the hand-stamps 10 have at the bottom exterior edge of walls 12 and 14 a beaded portion 17. The beaded portion 17 may extend around the bottom perimeter of the cup shaped member 11 or may only extend along the side Walls 12 or the end Walls 14. The beaded portion 17 may be one solid bead or a plurality of spaced beads.

At the top edge of the side and end walls 12 is formed a ledge member 29. Ledge member 20 extends the entire perimeter of the top edge of the cup shaped members 11. The ledge member 20 has at least one exterior side portion 21 tapered inward from bottom to top. The tapered portion 21 has mounted thereon a bracket 22 for holding printed matter or titles.

The ledge member 20 has formed in the top surface thereof a continuous groove 24. The groove 24 extends entirely around the ledge member 2i within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the top surface thereof.

On the bottom surface of the ledge member 20 is formed a continuous tongue 26. The tongue 26 extends entirely around the ledge member 2t} within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface thereof.

The groove 24 of one hand-stamp 10 is formed so as to matingly engage with tongue 26 of another hand-stamp 19 when positioned on top of each other. The continuous tongue 26 and groove 24 may be of any configuration as long as they matingly engage with each other.

Bottom wall 16 has on its bottom surface a frame or bracket member 30. Frame 30 may be made of any suitable material. For example, a lightweight metal or a plastic material. It is preferable to have a material that is resilient. The frame 30 has arms 32 which have a spring action inward toward the bottom wall 16.

Mounted in frame 3% is a stamp member 34 on which the desired type or lettering 36 is formed.

The spring arms 32 grip the stamp member 34 and hold it securely in place.

The stamp member 34- may be removed by sliding the stamp member 34 toward either end of the cup shaped member 11. Other securing means which allow for easy removal and replacement of the stamp members 34 may be used. If desired, the stamp member 34 may be cemented to the bottom wall 16 by any suitable means.

Cup shaped members 11 have placed on the top surface of bottom Wall 16 an inking means 38. Inking means 38 may or may not be secured to the bottom wall 16 as desired. The securing means may be, for example, glue or some other suitable bonding agent.

When two or more hand-stamps It) are nested one on top of the other in the form of the invention just described, the tongue 26 of one hand-stamp It} matingly engages the groove 24 of the hand-stamp I!) immediately below so as to form an interlock between the hand-stamps 10, and also form a seal so as to prevent the inking means 38 from drying. When the hand-stamps Iii are positioned as shown in FIGURES l3 the stamp member 34 exerts a slight pressure on the inking means 33 to ink the type or lettering 36. This pressure is caused by the weight of the hand-stamps.

The beaded portion 17 acts as a spacer between one nested hand-stamp It and the inside surface of the Walls i2 and 14. The result of this spacing forms an air space so. This prevents the binding and sticking of one hand-stamp to another when one is removed from the other.

The angle at which the bracket 22. is mounted allows for easy reading of the titles of each stamp.

When one stamp is desired, the desired stamp is gripped at the ledge member 2t} and lifted vertically. The hand-stamps 10 that are below the one selected remain in position. The hand-stamps above the one selected remain in their nested position on the one selected. The stamp member 34 of the hand-stamp 16 selected is already 3 inked and ready to be used. After the stamping operation, the hand-stamp is replaced in its nested position.

The hand-stamp units are not subject to tilt easily due to the design of the support 4. The bottom hand-stamp 10 has the frame 30 and the stamp member 3 removed. The beaded portion 17 of this hand stamp engages with the support 4 by wedging in the runway or valley 41. The legs 5 are widely spaced from each other to add stability to the device and to prevent it from readily tipping oves. The unobstructed distance between the spaced legs also adds to the stability and is an important factor.

The bar insert member 6 is wedged in the resilient groove 7 of two or more supports 4', thereby connecting the hand-stamp units in one hand-stamp assembly 1.

In FIGURE 4 is shown a modification of the handstamps 10. In place of having the tongue 26 and grooves 24 there is mounted on the bottom surface of the ledge 'member 20 a resilient gasket or spacer member 56 which covers the entire bottom surface of the ledge member 20a. The gasket or spacer member 50 also may extend partially down the exterior side of the side and front walls 12a and 14a of the cup shaped members 11a as shown at 51. The resilient gasket or spacer member 50 has formed thereon a continuous tongue 52.

The top surface of the ledge member 20a is covered with a resilient gasket or spacer member '54. The gasket or spacer member 54 has formed in its top surface a continuous groove 56. The tongue 52 and groove 56 matingly engage in the same manner as tongue 26 and groove 24 of FIGURE 3.

When the hand-stamps a are inserted in the nested position, the resilient spacer members 50 and 54 form a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of the hand-stamps, thereby preventing the inking means 38 from drying. Also with the hand-stamps 10a in the nested position as in FIGURE 4, the stamp member 34 does not touch the stamp pad 38 as in FIGURE 3. To

use this modification, the desired hand-stamp 10a is gripped at the ledge member 20a by the fingers and downward pressure is exerted on the hand-stamp 10a to compress the spacer members 50 and 54 thereby inking the stamp member 34. The selected hand-stamp 10a is then lifted vertically for removal. After the hand-stamp is used, it may be inserted back in the nested position.

FIGURE 5 shows another modification of this invention. In this modification the resilient spacer member 50 having the tongue 52 is used to matingly engage another hand-stamp 10b having a solid ledge member 20 with a groove 24. The same action as the modification in FIGURE 4 happens. This modification may be reversed so that resilient space member 54 may be used with another hand-stamp 10 having a solid tongue 26. The ledge member 2011 is gripped by the lingers and downward pressure is exerted on the hand-stamp 10b thereby compressing the spacer member '50 and thereby inking the stamp. In this modification the tongue 52 and the groove 24 matingly engage and provide a seal to prevent the drying of the inking means 38 as well as space the members 34 from the inking means 38. It will be obvious that tongues 26 or 52 and grooves 24 and '56 may be on the opposite members than as shown in the drawings.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show an alternate means of connecting the hand-stamp supports 4, by having a stud 60 at one end of one support 4 interlocking with a groove 62 of another support 4.

While the invention has been described in connection with different embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A hand stamp assembly comprising a plurality of hand stamp units, base supports for said hand stamp units, said hand stamp units comprising a plurality of nested cup-shaped hand stamps, said hand stamp units having inking means, said hand stamps having means for mounting an easily readable title, said hand stamps having spacing means to provide for non-sticking action on removal of one of said hand stamps from another of said hand stamps, said hand stamps having positioning means for positioning one hand stamp with respect to another, said hand stamps having a stamp member, said hand stamps having means for mounting said stamp member, said base supports having means for connecting with said hand stamp units, said means for connecting said hand stamp units to said base supports comprises a beaded portion extending around the perimeter of the bases of each of said hand stamp units, said base supports having a valley in the top portion thereof, said beaded portion wedging into said valley of said base supports thereby connecting said hand stamp units to said base supports, and means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship to form said hand stamp assembly.

2. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said hand stamps having a ledge member extending around the perimeter of its top portion and having at least one exterior tapering side wall of said ledge member tapering inwardly from bottom to top, said tapering side Wall having thereon means for mounting a title, whereby the title is mounted in a position to be easily read.

3. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said spacing means for said hand stamps is a beaded portion extending at least along the exterior bottom edges of the side walls of said hand stamps, whereby a space for air is formed between the interior side wall surface of one of said hand stamps and the exterior side wall of one of said nested hand stamps, thereby preventing sticking of said hand stamps to each other when one of said nested hand stamps is removed.

4. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said positioning means for positioning one of said hand stamps with respect to another of said hand stamps in the nested position comprises a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion of said hand stamps, said ledge member having formed in the top surface thereof a continuous groove extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the top surface of said ledge member, said ledge member having formed on the bottom surface thereof a continuous tongue extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface of said ledge member, said tongue of one said hand stamps is formed to matingly engage with said groove of another of said hand stamps when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the hand stamp in the nested position will not have side movement, said matingly engaging tongue and groove form a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

5. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said means for mounting said stamp member comprising a bracket means formed of a resilient material, said bracket means having spring gripping action holding said stamp member in position, said bracket means gripping said stamp member on at least two edges but not more than three edges thereof thereby permitting the removal of said stamp member by sliding said stamp member in the direction of the edge of said stamp member not gripped by said bracket means.

6. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship comprising said base supports having a groove formed in their top surface, bar insert members, each of. said bar insert members engaging said groove of one of said base supports and extending to another of said base supports and engaging with said groove of that said base support thereby connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship.

7. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 1 and wherein said means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship comprising two or more of said base supports having a tongue member at one end of said base supports, said base supports having at the opposite end thereof a groove, said tongue members matingly engaging with said groove members when said base supports are positioned in an end to end relationship thereby forming a 'hand stamp assembly.

8. A hand stamp assembly as in claim and 1 wherein said positioning means for positioning one of said hand stamps with respect to another of said hand stamps in the nested position comprising a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion of said hand stamps, said ledge member having formed on the top sur face thereof a continuous tongue extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the top surface of said ledge member, said ledge member having formed in the bottom surface thereof a continuous groove extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface of said ledge member, said tongue of one of said hand stamps is formed to matingly engage with said groove of another of said hand stamps when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the hand stamps in the nested position will not have side movement, said matingly engaged tongue and groove from a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

9. A hand stamp assembly comprising a plurality of hand stamp units, base supports for said hand stamp units, said hand stamp units comprising a plurality of nested cupshaped hand stamps, said hand stamp units having inking means, said hand stamps having means for mounting an easily readable title, said hand stamps having a resilient spacing means to provide for non-sticking action on re moval of one of said hand stamps from another of said hand stamps, said hand stamps having resilient positioning means for positioning one of said hand stamps with respect to another of said hand stamps, said hand stamps having a stamp member, said hand stamps having means for mounting said stamp member, said base supports having means for connecting with said hand stamp units, and means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship to form said hand stamp assembly.

10. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said hand stamps having a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion thereof and having at least one exterior side wall of said ledge member tapering inwardly from bottom to top, said tapering side wall having thereon means for mounting a title, whereby the title is mounted in a position to be easily read.

11. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said hand stamps having a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion thereof, said ledge member having mounted on the top surface thereof a resilient spacer member, said top spacer member having formed in the top surface thereof a continuous groove extending entirely around said spacer member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the top surface of said top spacer member, said ledge member having mounted on the bottom surface thereof a resilient spacer member, said bottom spacer member having formed on the bottom surface thereof a continuous tongue extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface of said bottom spacer member, said tongue of one of said spacer members is formed to matingly engage with said groove of another of said spacer members when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the hand stamp in the nested position will not have side movement, said matingly engaging tongue and groove form a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

12. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said positioning means for positioning one of said hand stamps with respect to another of said hand stamps in the nested position comprising a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion of said hand stamps, said ledge member having formed in the top surface thereof a continuous groove extending entirely around said ledge member withinthe bounds of the outer and inner edges of the top surface of said ledge member, said ledge member having mounted on the bottom surface thereof a resilient spacer member, said spacer member having formed on the bottom surface thereof a continuous tongue extending entirely around said spacer member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface of said spacer member, said tongue of one of said hand stamps is formed to matingly engage with said groove of said spacer member when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the hand stamps in the nested position will not have side movement, said matingly engaging tongue and groove form a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

13. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said positioning means for positioning one of said hand stamps with respect to another of said hand stamps in the nested position comprising a ledge member extending around the perimeter of the top portion of said hand stamps, said ledge member having mounted on the top surface thereof a resilient spacer member, said spacer member having formed in the top surface thereof a continuous groove extending entirely around said spacer member within the bounds of the outer and inner edge of the top surface of said spacer member, said ledge member having formed on the bottom surface thereof a continuous tongue extending entirely around said ledge member within the bounds of the outer and inner edges of the bottom surface of said ledge member, said tongue of one of said hand stamps is formed to matingly engage with said groove of another said spacer member when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the hand stamps in the nested position will not have said side movement, said matingly engaging tongue and groove form. a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

14. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said means for mounting said stamp member is a bracket formed of a resilient material and having spring gripping action to hold said stamp member in position, said bracket means gripping said stamp member on at least two edges but not more than three edges thereby permitting the removal of said stamp member by sliding said stamp mem ber in the direction of the edge of said stamp member not gripped by said bracket means.

15. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said connecting means for connecting one of said hand stamp units to said base supports comprises a beaded portion extending around the perimeter of the base of said hand stamp units, said base supports having a valley in the top portion thereof, said beaded portion wedging into said valley thereby connecting said hand stamp units to said base supports.

16. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship comprising said base supports having a groove formed in the top surface thereof, bar insert memhers, each of said bar insert members engaging one of said grooves of one of said base supports, and extending to an other of said base supports and engaging with said groove of thats aid base support, thereby connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship.

. 17. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said means for connecting said base supports in an end to end relationship comprising two or more of said base supports having a tongue member at one end of said base supports, said base supports having at the opposite end thereof a groove, said tongue members matingly engaging with said grooves when said base supports are positioned in and end to end relationship thereby forming a hand stamp assembly.

a 18. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said positioning means-forms a seal to prevent air from entering the interior of said hand stamps, thereby preventing drying of the inking means.

19. A hand stamp assembly as in claim 9 and wherein said resilient spacing means spaces said stamp member from said inking means when said hand stamps are in the nested position, whereby the resilient spacing means has to be compressed to ink the stamp member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A HAND STAMP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF HAND STAMP UNITS, BASE SUPPORTS FOR SAID HAND STAMP UNITS, SAID HAND STAMP UNITS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF NESTED CUP-SHAPED HAND STAMPS, SAID HAND STAMP UNITS HAVING INKING MEANS, SAID HAND STAMPS HAVING MEANS FOR MOUNTING AN EASILY READABLE TITLE, SAID HAND STAMPS HAVING SPACING MEANS TO PROVIDE FOR NON-STICKING ACTION ON REMOVAL OF ONE OF SAID HAND STAMPS FROM ANOTHER OF SAID HAND STAMPS, SAID HAND STAMPS HAVING POSITIONING MEANS FOR POSITIONING ONE HAND STAMP WITH RESPECT TO ANOTHER, SAID HAND STAMPS HAVING A STAMP MEMBER, SAID HAND STAMPS HAVING MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID STAMP MEMBER, SAID BASE SUPPORTS HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING WITH SAID HAND STAMPS UNITS, SAID MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID HAND STAMPS UNITS TO SAID BASE SUPPORT COMPRISES A BEADED PORTION EXTENDING AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE BASES OF EACH OF SAID HAND STAMP UNITS, SAID BASE SUPPORT HAVING A VALLEY IN THE TOP PORTION THEREOF, SAID BEADED PORTION WEDGING INTO SAID VALLEY OF SAID SUPPORT THEREBY CONNECTING SAID HAND STAMP UNITS TO SAID BASE SUPPORTS, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID BASE SUPPORTS IN AN END TO END RELATIONSHIP FORM SAID HAND STAMP ASSEMBLY. 